RTA Contractor Health & Safety Information Pack

Part 12: Managing Subcontractors

OHS Risk and subcontractors

Managing subcontractors on a construction project
adds another complication to risk management at
the site.
Effective management of subcontractors OHS
performance can sometimes be overlooked
because subcontractors:

may only be on site for a short time and are

wrongly thought to pose little or no risk
may be wrongly considered as solely
responsible for their own actions and
consequences

may work in isolation from the main project

activities

risk exposure may not be considered as part of

the overall site risks

may not know what their responsibilities are in

risk management

may not be committed to risk controls, and

may take unnecessary risks, to cut costs and

increase profits.

The RTA may refuse approval for the use of a

subcontractor on the basis of the above
information.

3 steps for managing subcontractors

Keeping control over subcontractors involve three
main steps for the Principal Contractor:

their own people are working safely, and

their subcontractors are also working safely.

Selection and approval to use

subcontractors

obtain written approval from the RTA to

subcontract any part of the work to be done

obtain written approval from the RTA prior to

engaging each subcontractor, and

can show they are competent to do the

job, and

have demonstrated risk treatment

measures.

Only allow subcontractors on site who:

have undertaken the three levels of
induction general industry, work activity
and site specific.

Monitor subcontractors risk management

processes to ensure they are:

doing things according to plan, and

working to their safe work method

statements.

What the principal contractor must do

Under Part 8.3 of the OHS Regulation 2001 the
principal Contractor must:

give a subcontractor those parts of the OHS

Management Plan for the site which are
relevant to the work the subcontractor will be
doing before the subcontractor starts work

if changes are made to the Plan which are

relevant to the work the subcontractor is
doing, the Principal Contractor must make sure
the subcontractor gets a copy of the relevant
changes

assess whether the subcontractor requires a

safe work method statement for the work to
be undertaken

Under the RTAs General Conditions of Contract,

the Principal Contractor must:

Select subcontractors who:

The risk management process has to be efficiently

managed so effective strategies are in place to
eliminate or minimise risk.
Under RTA contracts it is the Principal
Contractors responsibility to provide effective
safety management at the work site. Principal
Contractors have to make sure:

provide information about the subcontractors

OHS performance and safe working
procedures in the submission to the RTA to
use a subcontractor.

make sure the subcontractor has all necessary

safe work method statements for the work the
subcontractor will be doing before a
subcontractor starts work

direct a subcontractor to follow the safe work

method statements provided and to comply
with the requirements of the OHS Act 2000
and the OHS Regulation 2001

monitor the performance of subcontractors to

make sure they are following their safe work
method statements and complying with OHS
law and regulations

take action where subcontractors arent

following their safe work method statements
and complying with OHS law and regulations

direct the subcontractor to stop work where

there is an immediate risk to health and safety
until the situation is fixed, and

make sure that for any hazardous substances

brought onto the site by subcontractors:

Part 4.2 of the RTA OHS Contract Specification

(Major Works) backs up these requirements from
the OHS Regulation.
Under this specification, the Principal Contractor:

must spell out in their OHS Management Plan

the processes they will use for selecting
subcontractors and controlling them while they
are working on the site

must use safety system requirements in

deciding which subcontractors to use

get subcontractors to submit a site specific

safety plan and safe work method statements
for the work they will be doing before they
start work
(If subcontractors dont have this systems
documentation themselves then they can work
under the Principal Contractors systems, just
so long as this safety documentation is on the
subcontractors letterhead.)

must monitor subcontractors performance to

make sure the safety system requirements have
been implemented and that the subcontractor
work is proceeding without risk, and

include in the OHS Plan for the work, a

program to monitor and document the
effectiveness of the safety management
systems of all subcontractors working on the
site.

- Material Safety Date Sheets (MSDSs) are

provided onto the site by subcontractor, and
- they are entered into the hazardous
substances register kept at the site.

What subcontractors must do

Part 8.3 pf the OHS Regulation 2001 also sets out
responsibilities for subcontractors. Subcontractors
must only start work at a construction site when
they have:

been given those parts of the site OHS

Management Plan which are relevant to their
work

assessed the risks involved in their work

put together written safe work method

statements, which include the risk assessment,
and provided these to the Principal Contractor

processes in place to keep safe work method

statements up to date with copies of revisions
to the Principal Contractor

provided all their own employees with site

induction

told the Principal Contractor about any

hazardous substances they will bring onto to
the site, and

given the Principal Contractor any additional

information they have about the hazardous
substance, particularly relating to atmospheric
monitoring or medical surveillance.

The RTAs G21 OHS contract

specification minor works
Part 2.2 of the RTA G21 OHS Contract
Specification (Minor Works) also backs up these
requirements from the OHS Regulation.
Under this Specification:
The Contractor and subcontractors must at
all times identify and exercise all necessary
precautions for the health and safety of all
personsaffected by services under this
contract.

The RTAs G22 OHS contract

specification major works
RTA Contractor Health & Safety Information Pack - Part 12 - Managing Subcontractors

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